'Dad, I can't take the sacrament': Dealing with celiac disease

After my 4-year-old daughter went two years without growing, my wife and I finally discovered that she had celiac disease.

The disease can cause a multitude of issues, one of which is lack of growth in small children. From that point on she was no longer able to eat food that contains gluten that is found in wheat, oats and rye. Even a small portion of wheat can cause serious health problems for her.

After days of teaching her that she could not eat the things she used to, we were on our way to church when she said, "Dad, I can't take the sacrament." My wife and I looked at each other with dismay. We had not even considered that problem. She didn't take the bread that day.